


The Antique Table

by Bluewolf458



Category: The Sentinel (TV)
Genre: Gen, Sentinel Thursday
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-02
Updated: 2019-12-02
Packaged: 2021-02-26 20:47:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,120
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21645031
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bluewolf458/pseuds/Bluewolf458
Summary: While Blair is looking for any ethnic items in an antique store, Jim finds an old table.
Relationships: Jim Ellison & Blair Sandburg
Comments: 2
Kudos: 19





	The Antique Table

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the Sentinel Thursday prompt 'finish'

The Antique Table

by Bluewolf

The old table in the antique store had seen better days.

Jim snorted as the idea passed through his mind. Of course it had seen better days! It was at least a hundred years old.

Even so, it was basically in better condition than many of the other items in the store, some of them of more recent date.

Jim moved on, trying to occupy the time he felt was wasted as Blair checked through the place for ethnic items. Blair claimed he had occasionally found one, picked up as a holiday souvenir years previously, that had belonged to someone who had now died. Younger relatives, clearing grandfather's house, had sold those souvenirs as antiques rather than just sending them to landfill. And so Blair thought it well worth while checking the antique stores at least once a year.

Jim let him get on with it while he wandered around, wondering at some of the things the dealer considered sellable.

Something drew him back to the old table. The workmanship was excellent... and the loft really needed a new table. He looked at the price label. $75. He glanced over at the dealer. "Would you sell me this for $50?"

"Sixty."

"Fifty five?"

"You have a deal."

Jim handed over the money and the dealer helped him to carry it out to the truck where he fastened it securely before going back into the shop, already thinking how best to do something to renovate it.

Blair joined him some ten minutes later, shaking his head. "Nothing here today," he said.

Jim grinned. "Yes there was," he said, indicating his purchase.

Blair's jaw dropped, and Jim's grin widened.

"It needs a bit of work, but I think I can do something with it," Jim said. "Okay, I haven't done any woodworking since I was at school, but back then I was pretty good - but if it's beyond my skill level, I know someone whose hobby is carpentry, and I'm sure he could do something with it. It wasn't even very expensive - and we really do need a new coffee table."

***

Blair helped Jim carry his new acquisition into 852 Prospect, glad that the elevator was working. They put the table in a corner of the living room, and while Blair prepared coffee Jim studied the table carefully, already planning what he could do to it.

When the coffee was ready, Blair called Jim over to the dining table, watching with mild amusement as Jim's attention remained on the table even as he sipped his coffee.

Eventually Jim reached for the phone.

"Hello, Simon. Would it be possible for me to have four days off?... No, nothing serious, we're both fine - just something personal I want to do. Shouldn't take more than five or six days at most... Yes, the Spencer case was the last one that hadn't gone at least semi-cold - I wouldn't ask for time off if I had any active cases... Thanks, Simon." He hung up and glanced at Blair. "If I can't get something positive done to the table by Sunday, I'll contact Jerry - but I think I'll get it done quicker than that, and if I do, we can maybe put in a day or two fishing?"

"If I can get Friday off," Blair agreed as he went back to the kitchen area to get dinner ready.

***

When Blair arrived home the following day, it was to find that Jim had sanded down the entire table, removing the dark varnish that had covered it and revealing the wood the table was made of, and removed the legs, one of which was badly damaged, and was looking more than pleased with himself. "Two more days should do it!" he said.

He had even managed to find the time to prepare a chicken casserole that was simmering in the oven.

They ate hungrily, then Blair carried their dishes to the sink. "Have you finished for the day, or is there some more you want to do?" he asked.

"I could say I'm finished for the day, but if I got on with working on the legs, it would give me a flying start tomorrow," Jim admitted.

"Anything I can help you with?"

About to say no, Jim paused, thought for a split second, and said, "I need to get the four legs matching; height and shape. I could use a vice to hold them; but if you could hold the legs steady while I work on them it would save me some time."

He knew instantly that he had made the right decision; it was totally unskilled work, but it made Blair happy to feel he was contributing something to the renovation of the table.

It was getting late by the time the legs were ready and attached to the table-top. Jim put down his tools with a tired sigh. "Thanks," he said. "It may not have felt like much, but your help saved me over an hour. I'll easily get it finished tomorrow."

***

When Blair got home the next night, Jim was putting the final finish to the table. He had left the wood unvarnished to show the grain, and was applying a final coat of wax, rubbing it well in.

Blair paused, gazing at their new coffee table as Jim stepped back. "It's beautiful!" he murmured.

Jim grinned. "I feel I should go back and give the dealer in the antique shop the $20 I haggled him down. We couldn't have bought something like this new for double what he was charging."

"Whatever price he accepted, Jim, the guy would be making at least five to ten dollars profit. So just relax, sit back and enjoy what you did to the table. I'm certainly going to. Now - did you have time to make dinner?"

"I've ordered Chinese tonight. Now - I know you said you could get Friday off - what about tomorrow?"

Blair chuckled. "Well, knowing how much you got done yesterday, I reckoned you would be finished today - so I called in a favor and yes, I've got tomorrow off as well as Friday. Want to go camping - or make our break just day trips so you can spend the evenings admiring our new table?"

"Would you mind very much if I said I'd like to spend the next two or three evenings admiring our new table?"

"Just as long as we catch a few fish while we're out."

There was a knock on the door, and Jim went to it to collect, and pay for, the Chinese meal.

"Come and eat," he said, "and then we can come back into the living room and - yes - "

"Admire our new table," Blair finished.


End file.
